


NYPD Blues

by mittengal



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:28:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25328551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mittengal/pseuds/mittengal
Summary: In an alternate universe, Ronon Dex and John Sheppard return to Earth and run into trouble.Not a crossover, in case anyone remembers a certain show from the 90's!
Relationships: relationships? read and find out!
Kudos: 2





	NYPD Blues

Chapter 1

NYPD Detective Amelia Banks and her fiance Dr. Rodney McKay waited for a cab. They were headed to a fancy restaurant to celebrate her making detective. She had moved to NYC from Detroit, and worked her way up from uniformed patrol officer.  
"Oh no, it's starting to rain!" complained Rodney.  
"Just a little drizzle, you won't melt!" Amelia said.  
"I might catch a cold," Rodney answered, putting up his coat collar.  
"That's an old wives tale, Rodney! You should know that!" Amelia said, irritated. Rodney was a professor of physics at a local university.  
The cab arrived and they climbed in.  
"Ow!" Rodney exclaimed.  
"What now?" Amelia said.  
"I pinched my finger getting in the door!" Rodney said, holding up his left pinkie.  
"You'll live," Amelia replied.

After being seated at the restaurant, the waiter offered a drink menu. "I'll have white wine, but be sure it isn't too cold. I have sensitive teeth," Rodney said.  
"Our wines are always at the proper temperature," said the waiter, with a disdainful sniff.  
"A White Russian for me," said Amelia.  
"Dairy! You should think of going vegan. I plan to soon," said Rodney.  
Amelia rolled her eyes. "Yes, they killed a cow for my drink!"  
"I have been reading about veganism, and they say.." Rodney began.  
"Let's not get started on that tonight!" Amelia said, again irritated.  
Fortunately the drinks arrived, and she took a big swallow.  
The waiter returned and both ordered steaks.  
"Ow, my finger!" Rodney exclaimed again.  
"Let me see it," Amelia said  
He extended his hand and she manipulated the finger, which caused more ow's and grimaces.  
"It isn't broken, just a bruise starting," she replied.  
"It hurts when I do this," he said, wiggling his finger.  
"Then stop doing it!" she answered. "If you want, we can go to Urgent Care."  
"I need to eat now, you know, my hypoglycemia," Rodney answered. "Besides, they might give me a shot and I hate needles!"  
Amelia signaled the waiter for another drink. Rodney opened his mouth but she cut him off with, "just shut up!" He did.  
The food arrived and they ate in silence, then ordered after dinner drinks.  
"Tomorrow I get to question a man charged with killing two people," Amelia said. "One he stabbed with a sword, beheaded, and set on fire. They aren't sure how he killed the other one, but the body is shriveled up. Should be interesting."  
Rodney shuddered. "Could we change the subject?"

They had recently become engaged, but Amelia stalled on the wedding date. Rodney did not make a lot of money as a professor, but his family was loaded. Marrying for love had not worked out, so she decided to go for money. She had a big diamond on her finger, and he had bought a large house in a wealthy area. But she put off moving in, keeping her small apartment. She also insisted on no sex before marriage, citing religious views. Not true, but she felt no physical attraction for him. She hoped this would change with time.  
Leaving the restaurant, a wild eyed man was ranting and waving a baseball bat at passersby. Rodney ducked behind Amelia, trembling. She pulled out her service weapon and pointed it at the man, who turned and ran.  
Rodney was still shaking as the cab pulled up to her building. He started to get out, but she said, "Good night," and went inside.

Chapter 2

Amelia entered the interrogation room. The prisoner wore shackles on wrists and ankles, with chains attached to a shackle around his waist. The table was bolted to the floor. She had been told he was extremely strong, and as the officer put it, "knows all the moves." He had not been under the influence of drugs or alcohol. He refused to talk to anyone, and seemed more combative with men. So as a last resort, they sent in the female rookie, who happened to be very attractive.  
Even seated and wearing a jail jumpsuit, she could tell he was very tall and muscular. His skin was coppery brown, his hair black, in long dredlocks, tied back with a strip of leather. His eyes were a surprising hazel green. There were scars on his hands, arms, and face, which were not unattractive, giving him a rugged look. He had a bandage on his forehead. She looked him in the eyes, saying, "I'm Detective Amelia Banks. Would you tell me your name?"  
The man was silent and his face showed no expression. They sat in silence, neither breaking eye contact. Finally he made a small smirk, and said "Why do you care?" His voice was a deep rumble, with a rough edge.  
"I was told you killed two people, stabbed and beheaded one, and set the body on fire. The other body is strangely shriveled. I thought you might want to tell me how you killed that one," she replied, more calmly than she felt. She really wanted her first serious interrogation as a detective to go well. His intense gaze was unnerving, and she tried her best not to show weakness.  
More silence and stares, then he replied, "I didn't kill that one. That's all I have to say." Amelia felt he was done talking. "Thank you for speaking to me." He nodded, and she stood and left the room, feeling his eyes on her.

"The first body was killed by a stab wound to the heart. Then it was beheaded and burned, but there is something strange about it. I'm waiting for lab results from the autopsy," said Medical Examiner Dr. Jennifer Keller. "It had prosthetics on the face like they use in movies. The teeth were pointed. The hands were badly burned but the nails look deformed, almost like claws. The skin is abnormal, tho the burns make it hard to evaluate. What's left of the hair is unusual too, and there appears to be a spinal deformity. The spine actually looks like it's on the outside. The internal organs are different than I have ever seen. The other body is completely desiccated. Impossible to tell what the cause of death was. Appears to be a vagrant, from the clothing. There have been several other bodies found in the same condition. All in the same general area."  
"Thank you doctor," said Amelia.  
"Your fiance is a hunk!" Jennifer said, quickly putting her hand over her mouth. "Sorry, not meaning any disrespect."  
"None taken," Amelia said, laughing inwardly. She had never thought of Rodney as a hunk! 

Amelia was finishing up the day's paperwork when her supervisor, Chief of Detectives Andy Silosky, stuck his head in the door.  
"What's up?" she asked.  
"That unsub you interviewed today escaped from the jail," he said. "He pretended to have a seizure, even puked. He escaped on the way to the medical floor. The guy is unbelievable. He had them all disarmed and down before anyone could do anything. Then he was gone. Dodged bullets, and no one could catch him. But no one was killed. Never seen anything like it!"  
The next day Dr. Keller received the lab results from the burned body. She requested the tests be run again, but the results were the same. Not human.

Chapter 3

Ronon Dex had accompanied Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard thru the Gate to Cheyenne Mountain, then to Long Island, New York by airliner. John's father had suffered a massive heart attack and was given a poor prognosis. John had been estranged from his father and brother for many years, and debated if he should go. Finally he decided he should. Since this was a tough situation for his friend, Ronon insisted he not go alone.  
John's father was in a coma when they arrived. Over the next few days, he would wake up briefly, then fall back into the coma. John's brother Dave was resentful, thinking John was after their father's considerable fortune. John could care less about it, and stayed just to piss Dave off. Turning his back on the family business, joining the Air Force, and marrying a woman his father felt was beneath their social status was the cause of the estrangement. The marriage was unhappy, ending in divorce. Dave rubbed it in until his own high society wife ran off with a male stripper.  
John's father lingered in the coma, and arguments with the lawyers went on and on. John decided he should have the inheritance his father had surprisingly left him in his will. Dave was determined to have it all. But the old man had not died and it was possible he would yet recover.

Ronon was restless. While John and Dave spent much time at the hospital, he stayed at the Sheppard home. He had never seen such a large house, with so many amenities. Well dressed people came constantly to inquire about Mr. Sheppard's health. Ronon went running, worked out in the gym, swam in the pool, and enjoyed the seemingly endless food and drinks available. Women of all ages flirted with him, some quite aggressively. But their high fashion clothing, heavy makeup, perfume, and especially their constant chatter made him uncomfortable. And he was still mourning his lost love Melena, tho she was becoming a distant memory. He watched TV, trying to understand more about Earth, which was so different from anywhere in the Pegasus galaxy. He had to figure out the difference between shows and news. He saw a news special about some bodies found in NYC which were not shown clearly (squeamish Earthers!) but seemed like Wraith kills. He had mentioned this to John, who viewed it on his laptop, and agreed. He would contact Atlantis and have a team sent to check it out. Under no circumstances was Ronon to go on his own! That was a direct order. But when John and Dave suddenly left to take their father to Johns Hopkins (whatever that was) only family were allowed to go. So he sent John a silent apology and booked a flight for NYC.  
Arriving at the airport, he asked about the area where the bodies had been found. Not recommended, a high crime area. But he went there by cab, and rented a room in a hotel. Quite a come down from the luxurious Sheppard home, but Ronon had been in a lot worse. He had left his blaster and sword behind on John's orders, but had his 9mm and several knives. Venturing outside, the street was crawling with vagrants, hookers, drug buyers and sellers. Ronon did not understand Earth people's fascination with drugs. He hated the way pain meds made him feel. He would rather have the pain. And his experience with the Wraith enzyme made his skin crawl to even think about it. No one bothered him, a glare was enough to make them give him a wide berth, even the hookers, who looked at him and whispered together.

Ronon knew it was unlikely he would find the Wraith, but he had to look anyway. He wished he had Teyla's Wraith sense, tho sometimes he did get a feeling when one was around. He got this feeling one night when he was awakened suddenly by screaming. Dressing quickly, he climbed down the fire escape into the dark alley. A group of vagrants were cowering behind the dumpsters, as a screaming man ran around waving a sword. Ronon quickly disarmed him, breaking his sword arm, which caused even more screaming as he ran away down the alley. The other vagrants took off running too, and Ronon noticed something familiar next to a wall. It was a shriveled husk of a human, a recent Wraith meal. The hair stood up on the back of Ronon's neck, and with a loud hissing shriek, a Wraith jumped him. It was at full strength from just feeding, and Ronon was losing the fight. He was able to grab the discarded sword and run it thru the Wraith's heart, then pulled it out and beheaded the creature. Such severe injuries would be impossible to heal, and the Wraith died. Then Ronon heard sirens in the distance. Would the discovery of the Wraith be a threat to the classified Atlantis expedition? Ronon saw fire in a trash can that the vagrants had been using for warmth, along with a gas can. He doused the body and lit it on fire.  
Two police cars pulled into the alley, blocking it. Ronon realized the other end was a "box canyon" with no way out. The police yelled at him to drop to the ground, hands out in front. He tried to climb the fire escape, but was hit by first one taser, than another, then a third. He finally let go, falling to the ground unconscious. No one noticed a small man hiding under a dumpster.

Chapter 4

Ronon awoke strapped to a bed in the jail infirmary. He hurt all over, especially his head, and he was nauseated. Symptoms of being stunned as well as falling hard on concrete. He felt a bandage on his forehead, an IV in his arm, and dopey from pain meds. "They sure coddle criminals here!" he thought to himself.  
The next day he was taken to a cell, with shackled hands and feet, and guarded by four policemen with guns drawn. Later he was taken to another room, and questioned by several male detectives, giving them only murderous stares. He knew they were simply doing their job, but he enjoyed intimidating his captors. The last to question him was a strikingly beautiful female detective. Brunette, olive complexion, and strong looking, yet curvy, body. She was confident and not afraid to look him in the eyes. All this impressed Ronon. "Too bad we didn't meet under different circumstances," he thought. He also thought her skin would feel soft, and smelled no trace of perfume, only a faint clean scent of soap. He pushed all these thoughts from his mind (compartmentalize soldier!) She was, after all, an enemy. 

Amelia went to talk to Dr. Keller. "I have no idea what species the body is. Some are saying an alien!" Keller rolled her eyes. "I never have believed in aliens, but who knows? Or it could be some undiscovered species."  
Andy Silosky walked in the room and over heard. "When I was a kid I saw an old movie on TV called The Creature From the Black Lagoon. Scared the crap out of me! Maybe that's what it is!" he said with a loud laugh.  
"Oh haha!" said Dr. Keller, sarcastically.  
"Seriously, doc, expect some government guys to come and get the bodies. All of them. I hope you can locate the other dried up stiffs. They're all going to Area 51," Andy replied, then turned and left.  
Keller went to her computer, and soon had the location of the bodies. She sent her two assistants to retrieve them, where they were in cold storage.  
"Do you mind if I look at them?" Amelia asked.  
"They're very gruesome, both the desiccated bodies and the burned one. Are you sure you want to see them?" Keller asked.  
"This is my first case as a detective, and I need to learn as much as I can. It won't be the first or last time I see a gruesome body," Amelia replied. The truth was, she could not get the unsub she had questioned out of her mind. He was not the "usual suspect." Of course he was attractive, something wild about him, but not in a bad sense. She tried not to dwell on this. "Just stick to the case, Amelia!" she told herself. Something mysterious was definitely going on!  
The bodies were wheeled in on gurneys and placed in drawers near the other two.  
"Do you want me to stay with you while you view them, or is it okay to get back to my paperwork?" Keller asked.  
"I'll be all right." Amelia answered, glad to see the doctor return to her computer.  
The bodies were indeed gruesome, but the real reason for viewing was to take photos with her phone, even tho she had no idea what she would do with them.

Chapter 5

After escaping from the jail, Ronon hid in some bushes nearby. They would search the building, then the surrounding area. It took him back to his runner days, evading the Wraith. He needed to find other clothes. The orange jumpsuit stood out like a target, and the jail slippers were flimsy and loose, making running difficult. He supposed that was the idea. Too much broken glass and other debris to run barefoot. He had found his way to the basement, escaping thru the parking garage. He had passed the laundry, and made his way back there. It was nearly dusk, shadows making hiding places. They would not expect him to reenter the building, where they had already searched.

The laundry was shut down for the night. He found nothing but more orange jumpsuits. There had to be hospital scrubs somewhere, which he finally located, a drab light blue in color. Stripping off his jumpsuit. he found a size 4x and put them on. The shirt fit, the pants were long enough but much too big. Fortunately there was a drawstring to keep them up. He still needed footwear. Searching, he found some street clothes. Possibly the guards had personal clothes washed? He had seen a guard about his height but much bigger around the middle. He found a very large hooded sweatshirt with pockets, which he put on, stuffing his dredlocks under and pulling up the hood. He found two clean pairs of socks which fit. He hoped for some boots but no such luck. He did find a pair of bedroom slippers that fit. He had no weapons but found two box cutters which he pocketed. As ready as he would ever be, Ronon slipped out into the shadows.

He wandered the filthy alleys, drunken and drugged up vagrants everywhere, plus many drug dealers selling their wares. Looking down a side alley, he saw three men making what he assumed was a drug deal. One man was large and wore a long coat. The other two looked skinny and sickly. Ronon walked toward them and they yelled curse words, telling him to leave. The two skinny ones were slurring their words and looked unsteady. As Ronon approached, the big man pulled out a hand gun. He was quickly disarmed, and knocked out, along with the other two. Ronon put on the coat. He found drugs in the pockets, which he threw away, and money, which he kept, all fifties and hundreds. He also kept the gun. It reminded him of fighting the Wraith, but these guys were punks in comparison.  
The first thing Ronon needed was food. He had made himself vomit to make the seizure more authentic, and his stomach was complaining. As in his runner days, keeping up his strength was vital to survival, and Ronon was in survival mode. He saw a restaurant with a take out window and ordered food, which he paid for with a fifty. He was glad his dredlocks were hidden, making him less conspicuous, tho he knew his size drew attention. Nothing to do about that. The man looked nervous as he gave Ronon his change. "Probably thinks I'm another drug dealer," he thought, giving the man his best glare.  
He walked a few blocks to another alley and ate behind a dumpster. He kept hearing sirens and knew the police were looking for him. He needed to contact Sheppard, who would be pissed that his orders were disobeyed. "He'll get over it," Ronon thought. He left the alley, and joined the crowd of people on the sidewalk. He had never seen so many people in one place. No one made eye contact, which Ronon was glad about. They were dressed in every imaginable type of clothing, which made him less self conscious about his scrub pants and bedroom slippers. At least the long coat covered him to midcalf, and was warm, as the temperature was dropping. He saw a store with a sign reading "bodega." He bought a prepaid cell phone, some apples, protein bars, and a bottle of water. A police car drove by, and Ronon kept on walking. He came to a subway entrance and went down the stairs, where he sat on a bench and called the number he had memorized for the Johns Hopkins place, which turned out to be a hospital. "I'm trying to contact John Sheppard," Ronon told the operator. "His father is a patient there."  
"Are you a family member? We only allow calls from family," she replied.  
"I'm his cousin," Ronon lied. "It's an emergency."  
"I'm sorry," she replied. "The only family members on the approved list are John and his brother David Sheppard." Then she disconnected.

Ronon saw some police officers descending the stairs. Several people tried to run and were stopped. "Dumbasses!" he thought. Running looked suspicious. He sat still but wondered what he was going to do. Stay quiet for the time being and hope the police would leave.  
A train pulled in and a bunch of people got off and more began boarding. Ronon noticed they were dropping small coins in a slot, which let them thru a gate. He had no idea where they got the coins, which looked different from regular coins. Feeling in the coat pockets, he found several. He stood up and slowly walked toward the gate, not looking right or left. He could see the police officers out of the corner of his eye, but none were looking in his direction. He dropped a coin in the slot and the gate went up. He got on the train, and found a seat, and was soon on his way, but had no idea where.

Chapter 6

Andy Silosky went into the cafe with one of his confidential informants, and Amelia waited in the unmarked car, with a radio. Andy was wearing a wire and wanted her to be witness to what the man said, and also get experience. The informant was a junkie who changed his stories often, but Andy felt he had seen something pertinent to the missing unsub and the mysterious bodies. As Chief of Detectives, he could have assigned another detective to the interview, but he missed being in the field. Since his promotion, he spent too much time at his desk!  
A man with a severely broken arm had been admitted to Bellevue Hospital. He had been arrested many times for threatening people with a sword or other object, and called himself "The Swordsman." He said Conan the Barbarian had broken his arm and taken his sword. The informant claimed he had been present when this occurred.  
"State your name," Andy said.  
"Chuckie C," replied the informant.  
"Stop with the bullshit! Your real name," Andy said.  
"Charles Cadwell," the informant said, looking insulted. He was sweaty and twitchy.  
Andy told him to sit still, and describe what he saw at the date, time, and location of the incident.  
"Can I smoke?" asked Chuckie C.  
"You know the answer to that. Start talking or I arrest you for possession," said Andy.  
"I had just scored and was nodding out, when The Vampire showed up. I had heard stories on the street but never seen him," Chuckie began.  
"Vampire?" Andy asked.  
"That's what people call him. He's very tall and thin, with long white hair. Very pale. Wears all black. His face looks weird, almost not human, and his teeth look like they've been filed to sharp points. His fingernails look almost like claws," Chuckie said with a shudder. "I didn't believe the stories but it's true. He began sniffing people, me included. He would sniff, then hiss, and go to the next person. Most everyone had recently scored and were more or less out of it. One dude was real dope sick, hadn't been able to score. When The Vampire sniffed him, he let out a snarl like an animal, and put his right hand on the dude's chest. He screamed a few times, then began to look older. His hair turned white, and he got all wrinkled, then totally shriveled up. The Vampire snarled again. I had crawled under a dumpster. The Vampire began sniffing people again, and I heard more screaming. It was The Swordsman, running into the alley and waving a sword. Then a man jumped down from the fire escape. He must have climbed out a window. The Swordsman went after the man, who grabbed him from behind and broke his arm, making him drop the sword. The Vampire jumped on the man, and the Swordsman ran away, still screaming. They fought, and The Vampire had the man down, but he got the sword and stabbed The Vampire, cut off his head, and set him on fire. Then police cars blocked the alley, and the man tried to climb back up the fire escape, but the cops tasered him. Three tasers were in him before he went down. By then everyone else had run away but I stayed hidden until the cops left."  
"That's quite a story," Andy said.  
"It's true, every word, I swear on a stack of Bibles!" Chuckie said.  
"Would you swear on a stack of heroin bags?" Andy asked with a smirk.  
"Yes!" Chuckie exclaimed.  
"What did the man from the fire escape look like?" Andy asked.  
"Tall as The Vampire, but muscular. Dark skin, black hair, with those braid things the Jamaican guys wear," Chuckie said.  
"You mean dredlocks?" Andy asked.  
"Yeah! I couldn't remember the name," Chuckie said.  
"Did he remind you of anyone?" asked Andy.  
"Yeah, let me think. A comic book guy. Movie too. Oh yeah! He looked like Conan the Barbarian, except for the dredlocks." Chuckie shuddered again. "I would not want him mad at me!"

Chapter 7

Amelia thought about what she had heard, and the bodies. She wished she could talk to the unsub. She went to her laptop and brought up her notes on the case, and also looked at the pictures on her phone. There was more to this case than meets the eye!

Ronon rode the subway train until most of the passengers had gotten off. He followed them, so not to attract attention. Walking down the street, he realized he was in a much better neighborhood. Apartment buildings with doormen, and expensive looking stores and restaurants. He felt conspicuous and went down the steps of another subway station, getting on the first train going the other way. He had found more tokens (he overheard someone calling them that) in the coat pockets, and was glad he had a good supply. Then two sketchy looking men came into the train car. They were talking excitedly about cops coming thru the train, looking for someone. Ronon hurriedly got off at the next stop.

This neighborhood was neither fancy nor a slum, but somewhere in between. He marveled at the size and diversity of this city. He walked past many restaurants, smelling the rich smells, and realized he was hungry. He ate the last protein bar and debated if he dared go into one of the restaurants. But he decided against it. Scrubs and bedroom slippers would attract attention, and he had heard some restaurants denied entrance to those not dressed properly. He began looking for a take out place.  
A couple was arguing by a cab stand, and the woman's voice sounded familiar. He stopped, pretending to read a menu posted outside a restaurant. "I thought you wanted to come to this place," she was saying. "We've eaten here before and it was delicious."  
"I did, but I forgot what happened the last time we ate here. I got terrible gas. You know how sensitive my digestive tract is," the man lamented. "The pain was horrible and I farted all night!"  
"I'm glad I was at home!" she said, trying not to laugh. "Good that you don't smoke.There might have been an explosion!"  
"You are not at all sympathetic!" he said unhappily.  
"Nope," she said. "Not a bit! You aren't happy unless you're complaining about something!"  
"Let's go somewhere else," he said, sounding whiny.  
"Go wherever you want, I'm going home and order a pizza," she said. Then they argued some more.  
Ronon remembered where he had heard the voice. It was the detective, Amelia Banks. Turning around, he confirmed it was her. The man with her was medium height, receding hairline, and had the soft weak look so many Earth men had. He reminded Ronon of some of the scientists working on Atlantis. She then hailed a cab and they both got in and left. Another cab pulled into the space, and on impulse, Ronon got in. "Where to?" asked the driver.  
"Follow that cab," Ronon said, handing the driver a hundred. His eyes bugged out.  
"Got it!" he said. "Following your old lady, I bet." He then went into a story about his cheating wife, including a confession that he had been doing the same.  
"Whatever," Ronon said.  
After a long drive thru a lot of traffic, the cab stopped in front of an apartment building. Ronon realized it was not far from where he had been in jail. Amelia got out, went inside, and the cab left with the whiny man.  
"Drop me at the next block," Ronon said.  
"Good luck," said the driver.  
"Whatever," Ronon answered. "People here are too nosy," he thought.

He walked back to the building and looked at the directory. She lived on the second floor. But a key was required to get in the entrance, or else be buzzed in. He walked around the side of the building and waited. Several people went in and he decided to try and enter along with someone. Soon a couple came up the walkway, obviously drunk and arguing loudly. Ronon walked up behind them and grabbed the door before it shut. The drunken pair were so intent on their disagreement they didn't notice.  
He found Amelia's apartment and listened at the door. He heard the TV, and also heard her voice saying, "large with pepperoni and mushrooms." He remember her mentioning pizza, one of the best things Ronon had discovered on Earth. He got an idea, and sat down on the stairs to wait.  
A short time later, a man came in the door carrying a pizza box. Ronon blocked his way, and the man looked terrified. Holding up a hundred he said," I want that pizza!" The man grabbed the money and ran back out the door.  
Ronon knocked on Amelia's door, saying,"pizza delivery."  
She looked out the peep hole, saw a tall man with a pizza box, and began unlocking a series of dead bolts. As soon as she opened the door, Ronon pushed his way in, kicked the door shut, and had her in a head lock with her arms pinned behind her back. The pizza had hit the floor. It all happened so fast that Amelia was shocked. Police training was nothing like this. "He must be some kind of martial arts expert, or a special forces guy," she thought, trying to stay calm.  
"I won't hurt you," he said. "I just want to talk to you. Don't scream or try to bite or kick. I don't want to knock you out but I will if I have to."  
The deep, rough voice sounded familiar. The unsub! "I remember you," she said, her voice very shaky.  
"You wanted me to talk to you. I will now if you let me," he said. Then he quickly frisked her, removing her service weapon from her pocket. He could have taken "liberties," but did not. "Any other weapons?"  
"No," she replied.  
He pulled the leather strip from around his hair and tied her hands behind her back, then led to to the couch, saying ,"sit."  
"I'm not a dog!" she answered, sitting down.  
An expression that was almost a smile crossed his face, quickly gone. He pulled a chair opposite her and sat down. They stared at each other, then she said, "Let's start with your name."  
"Ronon Dex," he said.  
"I'm detective Amelia Banks," she said.  
"I remember. Go ahead and ask me what you were planning to ask at the police station," he replied.  
Amelia cleared her throat. "You said you did not kill the shriveled up body. Who did?"  
"The thing I set on fire. It's not a person," Ronon said.  
"Describe what led up to the incident," Amelia said.  
Ronon told how he had fought the sword wielding man and broken his arm, discovered the shriveled body, fought and killed the Wraith, was tasered and captured by the police. It all fit with what the CI had told Andy. Then he described his escape from the jail.  
"You said the other body was not a person. What is it and why did you set it on fire?" she asked.  
"It's a monster, that's all I can say. I didn't want it discovered," Ronon said, folding his arms across his chest.  
Amelia observed his demeanor had changed. He was hiding something. "I want to show you some photos on my phone." The phone was on an end table. Ronon picked it up but was confused on how to access the photos. "If you untie my hands, I can do it," she said.  
Giving her a wary look, he said," is this a trick to get your hands untied?"  
"No," she said, looking him straight in the eyes.  
"It better not be," he said, as he untied her hands, and handed her the phone. He remained standing as she brought up the photos of the burned body, and the others.  
"The medical examiner said the burned body is not human. She has no idea what it is, or what killed the others. They are all headed to Area 51," Amelia said, noting a look of surprise.  
"Area 51?" Regaining composure, Ronon said," No surprise there are other bodies."  
"You're not telling me everything," Amelia said.  
Ronon shrugged, looking down.  
"I am a detective, you know!" she replied, which caused a hint of a smile.  
"I can't tell you everything. It's classified, and I gave my word," Ronon said. "I can tell you I work for the government. I hunt those monsters. But I didn't know that one was here."  
Amelia was perplexed. Was he some kind of spy? "Where are you from?" she asked.  
"Let's just say, very far away," Ronon said. He sat down again.  
"What are you doing here, if you were not hunting the monster?" she asked, her mind trying hard to figure out the mystery.  
Ronon thought for a minute. "I came with my boss, who is also a good friend. His father had a heart attack and might die. I did not want him to travel alone. He and his brother took their father to Johns Hopkins. I was supposed to stay at their house on Long Island. I tried to call him but they won't let me speak to him."  
"Why?" Amelia asked.  
"Only family. I said I was a cousin but only the brothers are on the list," Ronon said.  
"Why did you come to the city?" she asked.  
"I saw on the TV news about the shriveled body. I knew it had to be one of the monsters, so I disobeyed orders and came on my own," he said.  
"You mean there are more of those things?" she said, alarmed.  
"I'm afraid so, we are fighting to keep them from attacking," Ronon said, thinking he had said too much. "I can't say any more."  
Amelia thought for a minute, then said, "how does it make the bodies look the way they do?"  
"They have a thing like a mouth on the right palm. It sucks the life force out of a human until they are dead. They prefer to put it over the heart but they can feed from anywhere on the body," he said, as Amelia turned pale.  
"Where are they from?" she asked, her voice trembling.  
"Far away," he answered.  
"Aliens?" she asked.  
"I can't say any more," he said. "I don't know what to do. I can't go back to jail. I have no idea where Johns Hopkins is. I need to talk to Sheppard," Ronon said, looking suddenly miserable, his hard front momentarily dropped.  
Sheppard? Long Island? Rodney's wealthy family knew all the high society crowd in the area. Amelia recalled going with him to a fund raiser at the Sheppard home in the Hamptons. They were even richer than the McKays.  
"Johns Hopkins is in Maryland," Amelia said. Ronon gave her a blank look. He obviously was from somewhere else. She got an idea. "I might be able to get thru since I'm the police."  
She remembered the pizza, still in it's box on the floor. "Let's eat and I will try the call. I'll heat it up if you will trust me."  
Ronon was hungry. He picked up the box, the pizza still inside, and handed it to Amelia. 

Chapter 8

"Johns Hopkins Hospital, how may I direct your call?" a robotic sounding female voice answered.  
"Thus is the NYPD and I need to speak to Col. John Sheppard, police business. His father is a cardiac patient," Amelia said in her most authoritative voice.  
"I'm not permitted to give out information about patients," the receptionist said.  
"This is a criminal investigation. Obstruction of justice is a crime. Please put me thru to your supervisor," Amelia replied.  
"One moment please," she said. After a brief hold, she came back on the line. "The Sheppards are on their way back home."  
"May I ask how they are traveling?" Amelia inquired.  
"Private plane," was the answer, then she disconnected.  
Amelia relayed the call to Ronon. "Can you call their home? I have the number."  
Amelia made the call. "Sheppard residence," came a female voice. She handed the phone to Ronon.  
He hesitated, then said, "I need to speak to John. Is he back yet?"  
"He and David are expected back tomorrow. With whom am I speaking?" she said.  
"This is John's friend Ronon. I'm in the city," he said, using the locals' term referring to NYC.  
"This is the housekeeper. I wondered where you went. I don't suppose you heard the sad news. Mr. Sheppard passed away. The brothers are flying the body home."  
"I'm sorry," Ronon said. "Could you have John call me when he can?" He gave her the prepaid phone number.  
Ronon sighed. "John's father died. He will be home tomorrow. I need to find a place to stay tonight. Is there a hotel near here?"  
Amelia needed time to think. "I will check and see." Taking her phone, she excused herself and went in the bathroom to think. Ronon's story added up. He seemed to be telling the truth, tho he was hiding the full story about where he came from and why. He could have hurt or killed her easily, and he had avoided killing anyone when he escaped from jail. She made her decision, and left the bathroom. "You can sleep here on the couch. It opens into a bed."  
"I appreciate it and I will pay you," he said.  
"Don't worry about it, you paid for the pizza!" she answered.  
"I gave the guy a hundred, I hope that was enough," he said, seriously.  
"He doesn't know American money. Another mystery!" she thought.  
"You can shower if you like, and there is an unused toothbrush in the drawer," Amelia said.  
"That would be great," Ronon said. "I know I need it. I just wish I had some clean clothes."  
Amelia got towel and wash rag for him, and said, "A neighbor is your height but much, um, wider. I'll go see if he will loan you some clothes."  
She left and Ronon got in the shower. It felt good to get clean. She returned a short time later with several shirts, pants, socks, underwear, a jacket, and a pair of worn construction boots.  
Ronon was wearing only a towel, not wanting to put his dirty clothes on. They were more filthy than he had realized, and the drug dealer's coat smelled really bad. He looked embarrassed and Amelia tried not to stare. "Wow," she thought, blushing. "That is a hunk of man!"  
Everything was too big around but OK in length. He noted the boots were size 14, his size.  
"Believe it or not, my neighbor has lost weight and said to keep the clothes. I told him my cousin was visiting and the airport lost his bags." She was glad to have something to talk about.  
They watched TV and Ronon saw his picture on the news. The police were still searching for him. "Here I am in a police officer's apartment," he thought. His size, plus his long dredlocks, made him very conspicuous.  
Amelia got sheets, pillow, and blanket, to make up the sofabed. Ronon helped, tucking the sheets in with perfect square corners. "Military style," she thought.  
"Goodnight," she said, closing her bedroom door.  
She tried not to think about Ronon, clad only in the towel. He had just the right amount of hair on his muscular chest. She had noticed an odd looking scar there.  
Ronon lay on the bed, trying not to think about the beautiful woman in the next room. He thought of his image on the TV. He quietly got up and found one of the box cutters he had taken from the jail laundry room. In the bathroom, he looked in the mirror and began cutting off the dredlocks he had worn since he was a young teenage recruit in the Satedan Army. They were getting too thick and heavy anyway.

Chapter 9

Ronon awoke he next morning to the smell of food. Amelia was cooking bacon and eggs, and coffee was brewing. He was wearing only large, baggy boxers, and quickly put on pants and shirt. He wished he had a belt, as the pants were way too big. The problem was solved by using the draw string from the scrub pants, and leaving the shirt untucked.  
Amelia did a double take and stared at his new hairstyle. "What?" he said, then put a hand to his head, which felt much lighter. "Oh yeah," he remembered. "I thought I would not stand out so much." He went in the bathroom, and was shocked at his appearance. His hair stuck up in clumps. He thought of shaving his beard, but that would be just too weird. He had worn a beard since he was old enough to grow one. He had a goatee but had not shaved his cheeks for several days, and decided to leave it.  
"I look really dumb," he said, coming back into the kitchen. "And I feel like I'm imposing on you."  
"Sit and eat, you can buy take out next time," she said. "I can make your hair look better. What did you cut it with?"  
"Box cutter," he replied, and she laughed. He liked the sound of her laugh. Not giggly like so many Earth women. They ate breakfast in silence.

She told him to wet his hair. He went in the bathroom and put his head under the faucet. She toweled it and went to work with scissors, then combed it. It looked much better. "Where did you learn to cut hair?" He didn't think it was part of police training.  
"My grandmother taught me. She was a hair stylist."  
Ronon wondered about her family. She had not mentioned them or the man she had been out with. He had noticed a ring on her left hand with a large clear stone. He knew this meant betrothal, but they called it engagement. Was she planning to marry that man? He could not picture them as a couple.  
Amelia had the day off but had work to do on her computer. She told Ronon he was welcome to watch TV or read. She showed him some DVD's, but Ronon was not sure how to play them, so he said nothing. He looked at the books in her book shelf, but he did not read English that well. He did find a large book labeled 'Atlas' that had many maps of the various continents and countries on Earth. What a huge planet it was! No wonder the Wraith wanted to come here. He kept his phone nearby, waiting for a call from Sheppard.  
Amelia made sandwiches for lunch, and again Ronon felt he was imposing. He wished he could leave the apartment, and take her out to a restaurant. He knew this was the custom on Earth. Dinner and a movie would be a date. Should he even be thinking of that? He was wanted by the police, plus she was engaged to another man.  
Ronon turned on the TV and the evening news was playing. There had been a mass shooting, a string of robberies, and a large fire. The announcer also said the search for the escapee from the jail had been called off. Ronon's mug shot was shown again. He did look different without the dredlocks. He wondered if he dare venture out at night.  
Amelia ordered food delivered for dinner, this time something she called Chinese. Different from the pizza but very good. They watched a movie, then Amelia said she was tired and went to bed. Ronon watched TV til he fell asleep.  
The next morning, she ordered breakfast delivered. Ronon wondered if this was what most people here did. Some round cake things which she put butter and a sweet liquid on. It was good.  
"I need to go into work today," Amelia said.  
"Do you want me to leave?" Ronon asked.  
"Of course not," she answered.  
"I won't steal anything," he said.  
"If I thought you would steal, your ass would not be here!" she said with a smile.  
Ronon spent the day watching movies. He had watched Amelia use the DVD player. He also did some exercising--push ups, sit ups, squats, running in place. He wished he could go running but did not want to go out in daylight. He found some bread in the kitchen for lunch. Ronon was expert at cooking in the field, but not in the kitchen. He wished he could go hunting and bring back some game. But he didn't think there was much hunting in NYC, at least not animals.  
Amelia came home before dinner time, looking unhappy. He wondered what was wrong but did not want to pry.  
"I have to go out tonight. I brought you some lasagne," she said. Ronon had no idea what lasagne was, but it smelled good.  
Amelia showered, dressed, and left, looking more unhappy than ever. Ronon put in a DVD and sat down to watch another movie.

Chapter 10

Rodney was waiting at the restaurant when Amelia arrived by cab. He wondered why she had not wanted him to pick her up at her apartment. They were seated and drinks arrived. Rodney began complaining that his drink was too weak.  
"You can't hold your booze anyway," she replied.  
He sulked, mumbling under his breath.  
"What?" she said. "If you have something to say, say it!"  
"You don't appreciate me!" he whined. "Do you know how high my IQ is?"  
"You have told me many times," she replied. "And I have said that is only one part of a person."  
"I don't know what's wrong with you!" he said, sulking again.  
Then the waiter took their orders, after giving Rodney a complete list of all ingredients.  
They sat in silence, sipping their drinks. When the food arrived, Rodney immediately took a big bite, then began fanning his open mouth. "That food is too hot! I might have third degree burns!" he cried out, so loud that people turned around to stare. The waiter ran over to their table, alarmed, and Rodney began berating him.  
"It's your own fault!" Amelia told Rodney angrily. "Didn't your parents ever tell you to blow on it first?" Some laughter was heard from surrounding tables, as Rodney took a big swallow of ice water.  
Leaving the restaurant, Amelia said, "we need to talk." They began walking and she said, " I have been giving this a lot of thought. Marriage between us would never work." She took off the ring and held it out to him.  
Rodney stopped walking and looked at her, open mouthed and shocked. "You mean you're breaking up with me? I had no idea anything was wrong! No no no no! You can't break up with me!"  
"I just did," as she held out the ring. "Let's not drag it out."  
"You can keep the ring," he said.  
"No," she said, dropping it in his pocket. Then she hailed a passing cab.

Ronon could tell Amelia was even more unhappy when she arrived home. She brought her mostly uneaten dinner home in a to go box. "You can have this if you want," she told Ronon, who was not hungry at the moment, having eaten all the large portion of lasagne.  
She went straight to bed.  
The next morning Amelia said little, ordered breakfast delivered for Ronon, and went to work. He hoped his presence here wasn't the problem, and planned to talk to her when she got home.  
Amelia arrived home, this time bringing fried chicken and biscuits for dinner. Ronon gave her some extra money, saying,"I want to pay my share. I don't want you to feel taken advantage of."  
"I don't, but thank you," she replied.  
"I don't mean to be nosy, but something is wrong. I hope it isn't because I'm here," Ronon said.  
"No, don't think that," she answered, looking uncomfortable.  
"What about that guy, you know, your boyfriend," Ronon asked. If she were his woman, he would not want another man staying here.  
She shrugged and looked away. "It's not a problem," she finally said.  
"Won't he be mad if he comes over and I'm here?" Ronon asked. He had been wondering about that. The guy seemed like a wimp, but he did not want to cause trouble.  
"He would not have come over without calling first," she said, not looking at Ronon. Then she turned and looked at him, saying," we broke up."  
"I'm sorry," he said, noticing the missing ring.  
"I'm not!" she exclaimed. "I ended it. It was not good between us, and it would have been worse if we had married. But I feel bad, I know he feels hurt."  
Ronon wanted to hug her, or do something to make her feel better. He settled for squeezing her hand. She smiled and said, "would you go with me for a drink?"

They took a cab to a small bar, where a man was playing old time blues on an acoustic guitar. They sat in a corner, even darker than the rest of the dimly lit room. The drinks were good and the atmosphere relaxing. Ronon was glad to get out of the apartment. He just hoped he would not run into any police.  
Amelia felt buzzed after finishing her drink. Ronon wondered how she got involved with the man, so he asked, which was uncharacteristic for him.  
"He was robbed, and I went with my partner to his home," she said. "He's from a wealthy family. He liked me, I liked his money. I'm not proud of being a gold digger. But I guess I'm not a very good one."  
Gold digger? Like a miner? Ronon was confused, and it showed.  
"A gold digger is a woman who goes after a man for his money," she said. "But I had no feelings for him. I figured it wouldn't matter. I married for love once but it turned out bad, so I decided to marry for money. Better to be alone I guess."  
"He seemed weak," Ronon said.  
Amelia looked surprised. "You saw him? When?"  
"In front of your building," he said. "You were arguing and he left in a cab. I recognized you."  
"He is weak," she said. "Very intelligent, two PhD's, college professor, but no common sense. What men call a pussy!" she said. Then laughed, "sorry, that was awful!"  
Ronon thought of the Marines he trained on Atlantis. That is exactly what they would call him! 

They relaxed and listened to the music. Suddenly Amelia stiffened and said, "Oh no!" A man had come in the door and was looking around.  
"Police?" Ronon asked. The man had on a coat, and a hat pulled down obscuring his face.  
"No. it's Rodney, my, uh, ex," she answered. He knew she came here sometimes, but she never thought he would come looking for her. He was swaying a little. "Must be drunk," she thought. "There's a back door, let's leave before he sees me." Ronon walked behind her, blocking Rodney's view with his body. He looked back, and saw Rodney was looking the other way. The last thing Ronon needed was a scene to draw people's attention, and maybe the police.  
Walking thru the alley, Ronon heard foot steps behind them. Three men quickly surrounded them, demanding money, and "a piece of that." One had a gun, another a knife, the third a length of pipe. Ronon quickly stepped in front of Amelia, disarmed two of them, smashed their heads together, and flipped them over. At the same time he kicked the other man's feet out from under him, grabbed the pipe, and hit him over the head. The other two were moaning, and he hit them, leaving all three knocked out. He picked up the gun and knife, pocketing them. It happened so fast that Amelia could hardly believe her eyes. He grabbed her hand, and they jogged down the alley, slowing to a walk as they came out on the street. Then hailed a cab and went back to the apartment.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" she asked.  
Ronon shrugged. "Military training," he answered.  
Amelia thought of Rodney, cowering behind her as she faced down the man with the bat.  
"I wish you could teach me some of those moves," she said. But there was no room in the small apartment, plus the noise of falling bodies would bother the neighbors.  
"Do you have any family?" she asked Ronon, as they prepared to watch another movie.  
"No, all dead." He looked uncomfortable.  
"Mine too," she said. "As far as I know. My father left when I was very young. My mother died a few years later. My grandparents raised me, but they're gone now. Grandpa was a police officer."  
"Do you like your job? People here don't seem to like police," he asked.  
She sighed. "It's a different world from when Grandpa was on the job. I thought being a detective would be better. It is, but we're still hated. Until someone has a problem, then they want us there yesterday! I'm taking classes in electronics at a local technical school. Something to fall back on if the job gets too much." She sighed again. "It's a big decision."  
Ronon thought about Pegasus, where people lived their whole lives in fear of the Wraith. Life on Earth was so much simpler but people seemed to be always angry about something. "If the Wraith ever made it here, these people would have something to complain about!" Ronon thought to himself.  
The next morning Amelia went to work, and Ronon decided to call the Sheppard house. He had not heard from John, and had hesitated to bother him, knowing he had the funeral arrangements to deal with.  
Ronon called and the housekeeper answered. "Oh no," she said. "I'm so sorry I haven't called you. The plane is missing. We are so worried about John and David. A search party has been looking but so far no trace." She sounded close to tears. "I have worked here since they were little boys."  
Ronon fought panic. John was like a brother, plus he was stranded here. "How can I join the search party?" Ronon said.  
"I will find out and call you," she said. A few minutes later she called back. "They are meeting at the trail head of the Overlook hiking trail. They really need volunteers." 

When Amelia arrived home, Ronon was pacing anxiously. He hoped she would give him a ride to the trail head, but if not he would figure out a way to get there.  
"I know where it is," she said. "I've gone hiking there. It's about an hour's drive out of the city. You know I don't have a car."  
"Do you know where one of those rental car places is?" Ronon asked.  
They took a short cab ride to the rental agency, where Ronon was asked for a credit card. He wasn't sure what that was, and he offered cash. The agent looked shocked, and scared when Ronon glared at him. This place was frustrating with so many strange rules!  
Amelia put a hand on his arm, and they stepped away from the counter. "They want a credit card number in case you don't return the car. Don't you have one?"  
"No," he answered.  
"Give me the money and I'll rent the car, " she said. "But I will drive you. I trust you, but if something happened to the car, I would have to pay for it."  
"Got it," Ronon said, handing her a wad of bills.  
She rented the car, giving him back some of the money. 

They left before dawn the next morning. The search party was meeting at six AM. Amelia took a few vacation days from work. She looked forward to getting out of the city, especially with Ronon. She remembered a small rustic motel near the trail head, and got a room before dropping him off.

Chapter 11

People were already gathered at the trail head. A man with a clipboard was taking names. A couple in front of Ronon were arguing. "I don't want to go out searching again. My feet are tired from all the walking yesterday," the man was saying.  
"George Haskins, you are such a lazy ass!" the woman said, as he walked toward a car.  
"Coming? If not, find your own way home!" George answered, getting in the car. The woman ran and got in, calling him a few choice names.  
"Your name?" asked the man with the clipboard.  
"George Haskins," Ronon replied. He had noticed new volunteers were asked for ID and he had none.  
"You're in that group," he said, pointing to his left.  
Ronon joined the group and they headed down the trail. It wasn't long before he realized these people had no serious tracking skills. "They would not last an hour hunting Wraith," he thought.  
The downed plane had been located. It had not crashed, but Sheppard had made a hard landing in a clearing, with much damage to the plane. The body was secure in a coffin, but the brothers had evidently decided to walk out. Ronon wished they had stayed with the plane.

John surveyed the extensive damage, including the smashed radio. Both men had some bumps and bruises but had escaped serious injury. He advised waiting for rescue. The plane would provide shelter, and would be more easily spotted by rescue craft. But Dave insisted they should walk out. How far could it be anyway? His survival skills were next to nothing. So rather then let him go alone, John packed supplies in his tac vest and set out, hopefully in the direction of a hiking trail he knew was in the area. An hour later, the trees were getting thicker, no sign of civilization. John was wishing he had knocked his brother out and tied him to the plane!  
They were on a game trail, when a small bear ran past them in fright. "Stop!" John said. "Back away slowly."  
"It's just a baby!" Dave exclaimed.  
"Mama will be close by," John replied.  
Dave began to run.  
"Don't run!" John shouted.  
With a roar, a huge bear ran out of the forest directly at Dave. John fired his 9mm in the air, as Dave was in the line of fire if he missed the bear. The baby bear had followed mama, but gave a loud squeal at the noise, and veered off into the woods. Mama bear turned and ran after the baby.  
Dave continued running in a panic. John ran after him, in time to see him get too close to the edge of an embankment. The ground gave way under him, and he tumbled down to the bottom, causing a small landslide. John began slowly making his way down. But halfway there, the ground began sliding again. John lost his footing and fell head first, hitting his head on a rock at the bottom.  
He awake with a severe headache and blurred vision, not sure where he was but sure he had a concussion. He heard a male voice saying his name. Ronon? Radek? Then it all came back to him. He was lost in the woods with his brother!  
Dave was sitting next to him, holding his ankle, which was swollen and discolored. "I guess we should have stayed with the plane," he said.  
Sitting up, a wave of nausea hit him, then subsided. "Yup," John answered.  
After a while, he felt a little better. Thankful he still had his vest, John wrapped Dave's ankle, and they drank some water. Dave turned his nose up at an energy bar but John insisted he eat it, explaining it was important to keep up their strength. This time, Dave listened to his brother's advice.  
John's head still hurt, tho his vision had cleared somewhat. But he was disoriented and the sun was obscured by both trees and cloud cover. Climbing back up was impossible. The forest seemed to get thicker to the right, so they went left. Dave was limping badly and John was light headed. He had to force himself to keep walking.

It was getting dark and John began looking for a place to stay the night. They came to an outcropping of rock, which would provide some shelter. John, gun in hand, tried to stay awake but soon he fell asleep. Dave was already snoring.  
John woke up to a shaft of sunlight in his face. He covered his eyes, feeling grateful the bear, or some other wild creature, had not paid a visit during the night. Dave was stirring, groaning a little as he moved his injured ankle. He tried to stand but the ankle had swollen more and would not bear weight. John's head throbbed when he tried to stand. Both men sat back against the rock. "What are we going to do?" Dave asked, his voice shaky.  
"Right now, I'm going to pee," John said, forcing himself to stand, then shuffling over to the nearest tree.  
He returned with a stout tree branch which he handed to Dave, who stood with the aid of John and the branch. He made it to the tree and back, but pain was evident on his face. "I don't think I can walk. You need to go on without me."  
"No way," John said. He did not want to leave his brother, but he also did not think he could walk very far. They ate the last of their food, drank the last of their water, and waited.

Chapter 12

Ronon was getting exasperated with the search party. They trampled any footprints that might have been there, and crashed thru brush, destroying any clues. They chattered, looking at birds and flowers. Ronon noticed a familiar foot print at the turnoff to a game trail. It looked like an Atlantis boot sole, John's size. But when he called attention to it, the leader told him to just keep up with the others. Resisting the urge to punch the man, Ronon said he was turning back. The leader told him to give back the walkie talkie he had been issued. Ronon ignored him, heading onto the game trail.  
The prints became clear, since no one had walked this way. Another set of prints, hiking boots, was seen. Ronon was sure it was John and Dave. A small piece of an energy bar wrapper left no doubt. He found the bear paw prints, large and small, and the spent shell casing from a 9mm. He saw the land slide, which he avoided, taking a longer way around. He saw blood on a rock. Also evidence that two people had been there. Then footprints going to the left, the hiking boot prints showed limping, the Atlantis boots showed a shuffling gait.

John was dozing again, thought he must be dreaming. A voice saying 'Sheppard.' It sounded like Ronon. Dave was shaking him, "someone's here!" He sounded alarmed.  
John opened his eyes, realizing he had his gun in his hand. Ronon stood at the edge of the trees. Dave looked terrified. "Hey buddy!" John said, and began to laugh as he put the gun down. Ronon must have looked scary to Dave, emerging from the forest like some ancient warrior.

The rescue helicopters took both injured men to the local hospital. Ronon handed the walkie talkie back to the leader, who glared at him. "We need to talk," he said.  
"Nothing to talk about," Ronon answered.  
"You are not George Haskins! He changed his mind and caught up with us. I need your name!" he demanded.  
"No you don't," Ronon said. Then he disappeared into the forest.

Amelia had the TV on in the cabin, watching a court TV show to pass the time. She had not heard from Ronon, but she knew cellular service would be bad in the woods. Then 'Breaking News' cut into the program. The missing brothers had been found and were en route to the hospital.

It was late afternoon when she heard a knock at the door. Ronon looked tired and dirty, but happy. "I heard the news on TV," Amelia said.  
"I found them," Ronon said, "but I had to come back thru the woods." He told her what had happened with the search party. "I'm starved, but I better clean up first."  
After eating at a nearby cafe, they walked to a lake near the cabins and watched the sun set. It was a picturesque spot, and Ronon was finally able to relax. He would call the hospital in the morning.  
Amelia turned on the TV to see if there was any more news on the rescue. They were seeking the "mystery man" who had found the missing brothers. She turned to Ronon but he had fallen asleep in the chair. Later she came out of the bathroom, in pajamas, and he was on the floor, wrapped up in a blanket. She got in bed to read, thinking she should wake him and tell him it was OK to sleep on the bed. But she felt hesitant, finally deciding against it. She turned out the light and fell asleep.  
The next morning, Ronon called the hospital, inquiring about John and Dave. Again he was asked if he was a family member, and he replied cousin. He was told "One moment please." He feared it would be the same as Johns Hopkins, but this hospital had more relaxed rules. A doctor with a kindly voice and a strange accent said, "wha' ken I do for ye, lad?"  
He told Ronon that John had a concussion, would recover, but needed to stay for a few days observation. He did not want him to talk or have visitors yet. Dave had a broken ankle which would need surgery, and was sedated. He told Ronon to call tomorrow and ask for Dr. Beckett.

"Sorry I fell asleep last night," Ronon said.  
"No problem, all that fresh air and exercise would put me to sleep too!" Amelia replied. "Want to go down to the lake again?"  
"Sounds good!" Ronon replied.  
They rented a row boat and Ronon rowed them across the lake, where they found a small beach. He spread out his jacket for them to sit on. The day was pleasantly warm, and Ronon was very aware of the beautiful woman at his side. Her long dark hair was loose, and he wanted to tangle his hands in it and kiss her, but did he dare? He would be going back to Atlantis soon. Would he ever see her again? He had not felt so attracted to a woman since Melena. It was more than sexual attraction, but that was definitely there too. He was glad for the long loose shirt he was wearing.  
Amelia had never felt such a strong masculine presence before. She was not into "woo woo stuff," but strong male energy was the only way to describe what she felt radiating from him. Such a difference from any man she had known before. It was more than sexual, and she felt safe with him. She also knew he would be leaving soon, back to where ever he came from, and she would never see him again.  
A cool wind began blowing, as clouds blocked out the sun. Amelia wished she had worn warmer clothing. Ronon put his arm around her. "Cold?" he asked.  
"Not now," she replied, snuggling against him. He stroked her hair, then grabbed it, turning her face up to his. He felt a moment of anxiety before he kissed her, but she returned his kiss with intensity.  
Then a gust of wind came, bringing cold rain, and they ran for the row boat. By the time they got to the cabin, both were soaked to the skin and shivering. Inside the cabin, they began laughing. Water was dripping on the floor. Amelia said,"we need to get out of these wet clothes!" She began pushing Ronon's shirt up, and he pulled it over his head and dropped it. Then he pulled her shirt off, then her bra, breaking the hooks. Shoes, pants, and underwear came next, and he picked her up and put her on the bed. He kissed her again, then looked in her eyes. "You know I will be leaving," he said, his voice rougher than usual.  
Amelia thought of a song by a favorite singer from her hometown, entitled 'We've Got Tonight.' "You're here now," she said, pulling him against her.

The rain and wind continued thru the night and the next day. They did not leave the cabin. The cafe delivered on the promise of good tips.  
Calling the hospital, Ronon was allowed to speak with John. "I had an MRI of my brain which showed no permanent damage. But the doc wants to observe me for another day."  
Ronon was relieved, but said, "nothing in there but empty space!"  
"Haha you're funny but looks aren't everything!" John bantered back, and Ronon laughed.  
"Where are you staying?" John asked.  
"In a cabin near the trail head," Ronon answered.  
"I'll call you when I'm released. Do you have a ride?" he asked.  
"Yeah, no problem," Ronon said.

The next afternoon Ronon got the call from John, saying he was released. Dave had left the day before. A car service had picked him up and driven him to a private jet for the trip home, along with their father's body. He would have his ankle surgery in NYC.  
Ronon and Amelia packed their bags, neither saying anything. He wanted to return to Atlantis, but wished she was coming with him. He had forgotten how good it felt to hold a woman close at night, after all the years of being alone. It had taken many years to get over Melena's death, and getting back into the dating scene is difficult, especially in a very different culture. But he felt comfortable with Amelia.  
She was also lost in her own thoughts. Ronon was a fantasy come to life. He was what some men pretend to be, like an actor she had once had a crush on. Ronon resembled him in looks, but the actor turned out to be a typical weak man. Ronon was the real deal, as strong inside as he was physically. She would miss him forever.  
"I guess it's time to go," Amelia said.  
Ronon took her in his arms, turning her face up to look at him. "I will call you before I leave. I won't be able to call you by phone from where I'm going, but I will find out how to contact you. I know guys often say, 'I'll call you,' and then don't, but I keep my word. I don't want this to be the end!"  
She hugged him, eyes tearing up. "I don't want to lose you!"  
"You have my word," he said. "I'll call you before I leave," Ronon said. Then they kissed and he reluctantly got out of the car. She watched as he walked into the hospital, tears starting.

Chapter 13

John was anxious to get on the road. He rented a car and they set out for Cheyenne Mountain. Ronon did the driving, as John had been cautioned not to drive for two weeks, just in case of any residual vision problems. Ronon told the whole story, including why he did not want to take a plane. John agreed that the police could still be monitoring airports, plus Ronon had lost the ID he had been given.  
"I suppose you're pissed at me," he said. "I disobeyed a direct order not to go after the Wraith."  
"I guess I should be, but you did save my life and Dave's. Plus saved sending a team to Earth. So call it even!" John said. "But don't do it again!"  
"I won't promise!" Ronon said with a smirk. John rolled his eyes.

The road trip was relaxing but uneventful. They would travel thru the Gate in a few hours.  
"I need to ask you something," Ronon said, as he and John ate dinner in the SGC mess hall. "Before we leave, I need to call someone. A police officer helped me out, and I promised to keep in touch. How do I send a message from Atlantis?"  
"I think it can be arranged when the databurst goes thru. There's Walter Harriman. I'll go talk to him. You can tell the guy thanks from me for helping you," John said.  
"Not a guy," Ronon said, looking away.  
"Oh yeah?" John raising an eyebrow.  
"Yeah, "Ronon said. "She questioned me when I was in jail. She believed I was innocent. I gave my word I would keep in touch."  
After a short conversation, John returned to the table. "Got her email address?" Ronon had it and her phone number memorized, also written down. "Talk to Dr. Zelenka when we get home."  
Ronon called Amelia as soon as he got back to his room, promising to send a message as soon as he could. Soon after, they went thru the Gate to Atlantis.

The next day, all hell broke loose! A Wraith worshiper had infiltrated Atlantis, planting explosives, and infecting the main computer with a virus. He was in his late teens but looked much younger, claiming to be twelve. He had posed as an orphan and been taken in by some well trusted trading allies. Faking illness, he had been brought to the infirmary for tests.  
All communications had shut down. The worshiper was caught setting the last explosive, and chased up the main tower, where he jumped off, blowing himself up as he fell. Zelenka was able to locate the other devices and they were deactivated. Two Wraith cruisers, in orbit waiting for the big explosion, attacked and were destroyed, but not before causing damage to many of the city's systems. Zelenka and his scientific team worked nonstop to repair all the damage. Colonel Sheppard's and Major Lorne's teams went to a planet with a Wraith outpost, which was the staging area for the attacks. The natives of the planet were known Wraith worshipers and, along with their Wraith masters, attacked the teams. They barely escaped, and finally the Daedalus blasted the whole planet to dust.  
Over a month went by before communications were reestablished with Earth, and a databurst was sent. Ronon waited anxiously to hear back from Amelia. But the message bounced back, and was resent with the same result. Ronon's heart sank. She must think he had forgotten her.  
"Is there another address?" Zelenka asked.  
"The police station," Ronon said. But that was not allowed for security reasons.  
"I'm sorry, buddy!" Sheppard said.  
"No big deal," Ronon answered with a shrug. But Sheppard knew it was.  
Ronon became withdrawn and sullen, reminding Sheppard of the way he had been when he first came to Atlantis. Teyla and Zelenka noticed it too. He was eager to go on missions with the team, and reluctant to return. He seemed lost.

John received a message from Richard Woolsey, the family attorney. Dave had decided to contest their father's will. He had been left the family business, three houses, and three quarters of all assets, but he resented the one third left to his brother. John set out to find Ronon, who was hardly seen except in the gym or mess hall. He found him beating up a punching bag.  
"Got to go back to NYC," John said. "Need you to come along. Colonel Carter OK'ed it."  
"Get someone else," Ronon answered, hitting the bag again.  
"I know you want to go," John said.  
"No I don't," Ronon hit the bag again.  
"Think about it," John said and walked away.  
Later that evening John's door chimes rang. "When do we go?" Ronon asked.

Chapter 14

"You mean after you saved his ass and got a concussion, he's bitching about you getting some money?" Ronon exclaimed, as they waited for the plane to take off. Ronon had been issued another ID and was told not to worry about airport security.  
"That's my brother. He will never change," John answered. "I don't care about the money. It won't change my life. I'll invest it. If I ever have kids, they can have it."  
"You mean you won't join the high society crowd?" Ronon said with a smirk.  
John flipped him off, glad to see his friend in better spirits. He hoped it would end well.

Ronon waited anxiously while John and Dave were in the lawyer's office. Finally the door opened and they came out, not looking at one another. Dave left without a word, and John said, "let's get the hell out of here!"  
They followed the GPS directions to Amelia's address, and were shocked to see burnt out rubble where the building had been. It was surrounded by a chain link fence and crime scene tape. Ronon felt like he had been punched in the gut.  
John was shocked too. Another loss for his friend! "We need to check at the police station."  
Ronon seemed in shock, but tried to look uncaring. "They might remember me," he said, his voice a monotone, but his eyes showed the pain he felt.  
"I can go in," John said. Ronon nodded.

"I'm trying to contact Detective Amelia Banks," John asked the female officer at the desk.  
"There is no one by that name at this precinct," she answered.  
"Are you sure?" he asked, giving her his warmest smile.  
"Positive!" she answered, giving him an exasperated look.  
"Let me speak to your supervisor," John replied.  
She let out a huff, then hit a key angrily, saying, "someone wants to speak to you." She did not look up again.  
John waited a few minutes, hoping he would not simply get a run a round. But then a man came out of an office, saying, "Andy Silosky. What can I do for you?"  
John put out his hand and they shook. "Lt. Col. John Sheppard, Air Force. I'm trying to locate an old friend." He got the feeling Silosky was ex military.  
"Step into my office," he said.  
Shutting the door, he added, "our desk officer isn't too much on personality. I'm ex Army myself. Who are you trying to reach?"  
"Detective Amelia Banks. I was under the impression she worked at this precinct," John said.  
"She's no longer with us," replied Silosky.  
John tried not to let his dismay show. "You mean she's deceased?"  
"Dead? Hell no, I mean she isn't on the job anymore," SIlosky said with a laugh. "But we're not permitted to give out addresses or other info on officers for security reasons."  
He looked at John closely, noting his expression of sorrow when he thought Amelia was dead. "She must be special to you."  
John realized what the man was thinking and played along. "Yeah," he said, trying for a lovesick look. "I never forgot her. When I saw the burned out building..." He shook his head, looking down.  
"Her apartment building burned down. Arson. We got the SOB. Hates cops, and several besides Banks lived there. Fortunately everyone made it out OK. She lost everything but the clothes on her back." He thought for a minute, then said, "I can tell you she is no longer with the NYPD, but that's all. She was a good officer, excellent record. I hated to lose her. The Chief would have my butt if I gave out any info and it came back and bit the department."  
"I understand," John said. At least Ronon would know she was alive, but finding her in the city was literally a needle in a haystack. "Thank you for your time." John turned to leave.  
"Wait," Silosky said. "Today is Friday. Go to a bar called The Tech Zone. It's across from that big electronics outfit, Weir Enterprises. You might catch her at Happy Hour. But I didn't tell you," he cautioned.  
"Thanks," John said, making the "zip the lips" sign.

"What the hell is Happy Hour?" Ronon asked. John explained. Free food, good drinks, workers happy to start the weekend.  
After two trips to the buffet for John, three for Ronon, and the required two drinks each ordered, they waited. Ronon sat with his back to the wall, at a table where he could easily see everyone coming in the door. Canned music was playing and a few couples were on the small dance floor. Ronon finished his drinks and ordered another round.  
Suddenly he sat up straight and stared as Amelia walked in the door. She was dressed in jeans and T shirt, her hair in a pony tail. A man was with her, and Ronon's expression darkened. They joined a group at a large table, ordered drinks, and went to the buffet. Ronon watched intently as they ate, drank, and talked with the others. Then the man got up, went to another table, and asked a woman to dance. So they weren't together after all!  
"I wish I knew how to dance," Ronon said. Dancing had not been a part of Satedan culture.  
"I could ask her, if you won't kick my butt," John said.  
"Just not too close!" Ronon answered, trying to cover his anxiety. Over two months had gone by since he left, promising to keep in touch. Would she even want to talk to him? Maybe she would prefer Sheppard. He had a reputation on Atlantis as a 'ladies man,' tho his romances never lasted long. He seemed to pick the wrong women--the last one had tried to shoot him! 

John leaned over her shoulder, they spoke, then she stood and followed him to the dance floor. Ronon watched as they chatted, John holding her at a chaste distance. The suddenly they were headed toward Ronon's table, Amelia in the lead. They just looked at one another. Ronon tried to speak but no words came out.  
"I'm going to the bar for a while," John said, and left.  
Ronon pushed a chair out with a foot and gestured for her to sit. "I tried to send a message," he finally was able to say. "But it bounced back."  
"There was a fire. My computer was destroyed," she said, sitting down.  
"I saw it. I was afraid you were dead!" Ronon said, taking her hand in his.  
"I can't believe you're really here!" she replied, tears starting.  
"Let's get out of here!" Ronon said.  
Outside the bar, Ronon grabbed her and they hugged. Amelia turned her face up for a kiss. Then a carload of teenage boys drove by, making loud kissing sounds, and yelling crude remarks.  
"I live a few blocks from here," she said, and they started walking. 

Amelia's apartment was smaller than the previous one, and sparsely furnished. "The fire happened a week after you left," she said. "Everything was lost, even my phone. Then my partner was killed in a courthouse shooting. He pushed me down or I would have been shot too. He had just a few months left before retirement. It was just too much!" she said, tears starting again. Ronon squeezed her hand, and on impulse, kissed it. She smiled thru the tears. "I was almost finished with my electronics course, so I put in my papers and left the department. Now I'm a tech at Weir Enterprises."  
Ronon explained as best he could, without mentioning Atlantis, what had happened. "I couldn't send a message when I arrived. All our communications were down from a computer virus. Then the base was attacked. We finally were able to defeat the attackers." He knew this sounded like the abbreviated mission reports that he was known for, but he had given his word not to reveal Atlantis. Amelia knew there was more to the story, but she was just happy he was here. She had given up hope of ever seeing him.  
"I don't want to lose you again!" he said, echoing her thoughts. "Come with me! Sheppard can probably work it out. If not, there is another place we can go." They would be welcome on New Athos. But would she be willing to leave Earth when she found out that the secret base was in another galaxy? He could stay on Earth, but felt he would never fit in.  
Amelia looked in his eyes, and saw both longing and fear. She gathered the base was top secret, maybe even a space station of some sort. Could she leave everything behind and go to an unknown place with a man she hardly knew? Looking around the drab apartment, she thought of her new job. She liked working with computers, but her entry level job was rather boring. So were most of her coworkers, who either spent all their free time playing video games or partying. Her head told her no, but her heart (and somewhere else) disagreed. Then she threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest, saying "yes!"  
Ronon held her tightly. He had been so sure she would not want to even see him. Thank the Ancestors John had pressured him to come along! But would Amelia be allowed to come to Atlantis? Since the infiltration by the Wraith worshiper, security was heightened. He would need to talk to Sheppard. He took out his phone and called. John answered, music playing in the background. "Just checking in," Ronon said. "We need to talk tomorrow."  
"Put your phone away and let's dance!" said a tipsy sounding female voice.  
"Shh!" John said, "business!"  
They agreed to meet in the morning, at a cafe across from Amelia's apartment.  
"John is the military commander," Ronon said. "He can tell you more than I am allowed to. I signed papers, but I gave my word. That is more important to my people than papers."  
Amelia found this surprising. Most people didn't care about keeping their word. She looked forward to learning more about this mysterious man and where he came from. But right now, they both had other things on their mind. Ronon pulled her close and they kissed. "Your hair has grown," she said, running fingers thru it.  
"That's not all that's growing," he said, pulling her onto his lap. Soon he picked her up and carried her to the bed.

Chapter 15

Ronon was still half asleep and hearing a buzzing sound. Was he dreaming of Iratus bugs?  
"It's your phone," Amelia said, snuggling against him. His pants were laying on the floor, the phone had slid out of the pocket and was vibrating.  
It was Sheppard, wanting to meet in an hour, Ronon said to make it two.

A while later, Amelia went to shower. Ronon followed her, with a roguish smile. "Some guy on TV was talking about not wasting water!"  
"We must always be green!" she laughed, pulling him into the shower stall.  
"Green?" Ronon thought. Later he would ask her what that meant. But not right now!

After breakfast, they went to Amelia's apartment. Sheppard told her about Atlantis. It boggled her mind! Not just another planet, but another galaxy. He showed her pictures on his laptop of Wraith, and she shuddered. The burned one had looked less frightening. And hundreds of thousands of them were trying to find their way to Earth!  
"We need Gate techs right now. Two recently left and we are short handed. I can hurry the paperwork along. I know your former boss will give you a good reference," John said. "Atlantis is all that stands between the Wraith and Earth. The public would panic if they knew. Colonel Carter will need to meet you but she trusts my judgement. I know she will approve. The fact that you can shoot and have fighting skills is in your favor. Right Ronon?"  
"For sure!" he replied, thinking of some of the techs and scientists that he tried in vain to teach basic self defense.  
Then Sheppard left to go back to his hotel room. He knew the couple needed some time alone.

Amelia looked at Ronon and thought again how different he was from the men she was accustomed to. "Tell me about Sateda." He told her about what had been--their culture, his family, and Melena. All lost to the Wraith. Supposedly there were other Satedans who had survived, but he had not found any. Maybe some day his home would be rebuilt but for now it was nothing but ruins.  
"You still love her." It was both a question and a statement.  
"I will always love her memory, along with my family, but she is part of my past. You are part of my future, if you will have me," Ronon answered.  
Amelia realized that Ronon was part of her future too, along with Atlantis, and she told him so. Then she packed her meager belongings, and he called Sheppard to come get them.  
They stopped at the police precinct where Amelia had worked, so she could say goodbye to her old supervisor Andy Silosky. "I have a new job, it's with the government, and classified."  
"Area 51 maybe?" Andy asked, only half joking.  
"Something like that," she replied, with a smile.  
"We miss you around here, but I wish you all the best," he said.  
"Best of luck to you too. I couldn't have asked for a better boss!" she exclaimed. "Got to go now."  
"Oh yeah, your old boyfriend is now seeing our medical examiner! They are crazy about each other. They were caught fooling around in the morgue!" Andy said, and they both laughed. " I never saw you two as a couple."  
"Neither did I!" Amelia exclaimed. "I'm happy for them. Give them my best wishes."

Another flight to Cheyenne Mountain. After contacting Col. Carter, John had permission to bring Amelia thru the wormhole to Atlantis. She held tight to Ronon's hand as they stepped thru the blue puddle to a new galaxy.  
Stepping thru on the other side, she could not help but stare at the alien but beautiful city. Two Marines escorted them to Col. Carter's office.  
"Welcome to Atlantis," she said to Amelia, extending her hand.  
"Thank you ma'am, I'm honored to be here," Amelia replied, as they shook hands.  
"Ronon, I hear you had quite an adventure," Carter said. "I must reprimand you for disobeying your superior officer's orders," she said sternly. "That said, you foiled a Wraith plan to get to Earth. That Wraith you killed was an advanced scout. If it had lived, the Wraith would now be on Earth. Well done Specialist Dex!" Carter exclaimed, shaking Ronon's hand. "I wish I could say that was the end of it, but there will be other attempts to reach Earth. We must always be on guard." Ronon looked shocked, then a rare smile.  
"Also glad to have Col. Sheppard back with us. I want you to report to the infirmary for a complete physical, not just the usual check up," she concluded. "Is your brother recovering?"  
"I have no idea," Sheppard said, and Carter wisely said no more about it.  
"Now if you two will excuse us, I will proceed with Ms. Banks' interview," Carter said, dismissing the men, who headed for the infirmary.  
"I think you will work out well here," Carter told Amelia after the interview. " Until your papers arrive, you will need a guard per procedure, but I know Ronon can handle the job. Will you be wanting separate quarters?"  
"No," Amelia said, blushing a little.  
"I'm happy for you. Ronon has been alone for too long," Carter said.

In Ronon's quarters, now hers too, Amelia looked at the various weapons that hung on the walls, and his many knives. She found it all fascinating, and looked forward to his telling her about the unusual weapons she had never before seen. There was also a finger bone on a leather thong. Ronon told her it was from the first Wraith he had killed as a runner. He had worn it around his neck, but was asked by Col. Carter to remove it because it upset some people.  
"After what you went thru, you had the right to wear it," Amelia told him. "There are a lot worse things than a finger bone!" She thought of some of the awful things she had seen humans do to one another.  
Then she looked at the furs on the large bed, and thought of how it would feel to lie on them, next to Ronon. He put his arms around her--he was thinking the same thing. The old life was ended, a new life had begun.


End file.
